BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    



                                                                  AB 1565
                                                                  Page  1

          Date of Hearing:   May 6, 2009

                           ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON INSURANCE
                                   Joe Coto, Chair
            AB 1565 (Committee on Insurance) - As Amended:  April 13, 2009
           
          SUBJECT  :   Insurance

           SUMMARY  :   Makes technical corrections to laws governing  
          insurance including correcting references that govern the manner  
          in which the Insurance Commissioner (IC) may withdraw the  
          approval of forms for credit life and disability insurance.   
          Specifically,  this bill  :

          1)Specifies that the following laws apply to the withdrawal of  
            the approval of forms for credit life and disability insurance  
            that must be filed or approved by the IC: 

             a)   Permits the IC to withdraw approval of filing of any  
               policy when the IC would be authorized to disapprove or  
               refuse filing of the policy if originally submitted at the  
               time of the action of the withdrawal.   

             b)   Specifies that no proceeding in Section 10291.5 of the  
               Insurance Code, established to prevent fraud and unfair  
               trade practices in connection with disability insurance, is  
               subject to administrative adjudication and formal hearings.

          2)Specifies, in connection with surplus line brokers, that the  
            California Department of Insurance (CDI) is authorized to  
            collect additional license fees resulting from the increases  
            in licensee fees provided by Chapter 29 of the Statutes of  
            2008 and shall credit any overpayment resulting from  
            reductions in license fees provided by that act.  

           EXISTING LAW  :

          1)Specifies that the following laws apply to the withdrawal of  
            the approval of forms for credit life and disability insurance  
            that must be filed or approved by the IC: 

             a)   Provides that a section of law (Section 10291.5 of the  
               Insurance Code) does  not  authorize the Insurance  
               Commissioner (IC) to establish or require a single or  
               standard application form for application questions in  








                                                                  AB 1565
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               connection with disability insurance. 

             b)   Authorizes the IC to promulgate rules and regulations,  
               after notice and hearing, to establish the standards by  
               which he or she will disapprove or withdraw approval of any  
               disability policy.   

          2)Specifies, in connection with surplus line brokers, that the  
            CDI is authorized to collect additional license fees resulting  
            from the increases in licensee fees provided by the act that  
            added this law and shall credit any overpayments resulting  
            from reductions in license fees provided by that act.  

           FISCAL EFFECT  :   None.


           COMMENTS  :   

           1)Committee bill.   This is a bill authored by the Members of the  
            Insurance Committee.

           2)Summary of bill contents.   This bill makes technical  
            corrections to the Insurance Code.  The bill corrects  
            references in existing law that govern the manner in which the  
            Insurance Commissioner may withdraw of the approval of forms  
            for credit life and disability insurance.  The bill clarifies  
            that the IC may withdraw approval of policies in the same  
            manner as if the policy was being originally submitted for  
            approval, and clarifies that the withdrawal of approval  
            process does not require administrative adjudication and  
            formal hearings.  The bill also corrects spelling errors and  
            identifies the statute that authorizes the IC, in connection  
            with surplus line brokers, to collect additional license fees  
            and credit any overpayments. 

           REGISTERED SUPPORT / OPPOSITION  :   

           Support 
           
          None received.

           Opposition 
           
          None received.
           








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          Analysis Prepared by  :    Manny Hernandez / INS. / (916) 319-2086